The Cure for the Laundromat
I usually hate the laundromat. I do. It's really noisy. There's denizens of small children running around like Lord of the Flies savages. The smaller machines are usually all taken. It's chaos. But when I walked in Monday night, what a pleasant surprise. It was (almost) empty. All the smaller machines were free. No running savages. No craziness. And then I remembered my iPod was in my purse. So I plugged in and hit shuffle. My laundry started with Fiona Apple's "Carrion" and ended with the last movement from Dvorak's American String Quartet. It was almost delightful. I shimmied and boogies as I folded and sorted. And while I was waiting for the wash, I read New York Magazine. It was almost a little bit of relaxation. But I couldn't resist taking the photo above. How often do you see caution tape in the laundromat?

I Have a Doctor Friend Who Could Help You
I love love love Edward Scissorhands. Love it. It's such a great movie. Tim Burton just doesn't overlook anything when it comes to a movie. I love how it's got this retro-old-school vibe to it. How it just totally encapsulates the idea of suburbia. And I mean, you can't get any better than Danny Elfman scoring this.

Lemony, Shiney, Curly Goodness

Ah ha! Finally realized why my hair has been a poofy, frizzy mess. I totally forgot about applying product to sopping wet hair. Which is challenging and messy, but it works. And I have this new product to thank for it. I've discovered two kinds of products that work well for me. Cheap ones, and ones designed for ethnic hair. Guess I'm more worldly than I thought I was! But my hair is just so inherently me and when I was without it, I just felt like I had no identity. So now I'm relishing in my longer, curlier (if that was even possible) locks. And it smells lemony and not fragrancy. And it's all natural, which is even better. I don't know why I'm making an effort to use more natural products, I guess I'm trying to be a better person in some way, or I feel like more natural products will be less detrimental to me in the long run. Or maybe I just don't like the idea of all sorts of preservatives on me.

But When the Day's Hustle and Bustle is Done
Saw Cats last night with Stephanie and Meghan. It was fun. Had a bite to eat first (as much as I don't like the idea of chain restaurants, it's hard to argue with the ease and affordability of Friday's 3-course menu for a mere $13) and then off to the theatre. It was a decent performance. But of course, all I could be reminded of was how I lived with this show for 3 months at just this time last year. And I had fun with it. I liked being the only string in the pit, I liked hanging out with the gang afterwards. I liked all the little inside jokes and carrying on once we were comfortable with the score. And it was a little bittersweet. And I always wonder. I do. I wonder if I would have been able to do it as a full-time job. Would I have had the drive? Or the inclination to really put in the effort to try to succeed at it? Would I still be here? Or would I have been forced to be somewhere smaller so I could survive?

But I digress...

The way home I had on WFUV as usual and the Grateful Dead came on. Now, I never really admitted this to anyone, for fear of being forced to turn in my "too hip for the average crowd" card, but I kind of like them. And I guess this fear stems from college. College had less clique distinctions than high school and everyone was welcoming to everyone else, but there was still this.....urging to reaffirm who you were and what you were not. Probably as a response to being so outcast or so ill-regarded in high school. So I was a unique, retro-wearing glamour chick who took great pains in getting dressed for classes and the such and cultivated such an aura. And there were deadheads, most of whom were in the art school but in the painting and sculpture classes, not the design classes. And everyone co-existed peacefully, and tried to respect each other's likes and whatnot, but you never really got into their mileu. But I do like the Dead. I like the song "Truckin." I like the way they totally go from an easy rock feeling to a total dead-on jazz jam. I actually respect that. So there I am. A confessed appreciator of the Dead.

Why Winter Sucks
My skin gets dry.
My hair gets dry and frizzy.
I have to wear sweaters that make me look fat.
The sun hides more than it's out.
It's dark when I get up.
The car has to warm up.
Bad cello weather.
Christmas and New Year's.
Christmas decorations still up mid-January.
New Year's resoluters in droves at the gym.

Aahhhhh.....Relief

This stuff is amazing. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I buy something in a magazine and it really works. I saw this while reading Lucky magazine while I was waiting for my class at the gym to start. And being that both Tommy and I are still congested and feeling blah, I figured I'd try to find it. So on a whim, after the class, I head next door to the Vitamin Shop where they carry the Kiss My Face brand. And on another whim I look at the sale table. Poof! Right there is a set with the shower gel and the room spray (misty menthol goodness) for less than the gel is advertised for. Bonus. I love sales. I love free stuff. AND the guy behind the counter gave me a deal on vitamin c and liquid vitamins. Now, I haven't taken either, but at least my intentions are healthy. But the shower gel is amazing. It makes you feel all tingly and opens those clogged nasal passages. And if nothing else, it makes having to wake up when it's still bloody dark outside that much easier. Go find some of this stuff before it's all gone.

I Want It

So today's a rainy, snowy, crappy day. But...I just heard a track from the new Brazilian Girls cd and it sounds killer diller. I want it. In fact, here's my whole "I Want It" list on amazon.com. I like the Brazilian Girls. They're a little different. Some loungish flavor, a little electronic, much in the way of acoustic instruments, a brass section once in a while. Definitely hip music. And I didn't go see them in NYC when they were there. Stupid.

Ugh. Are You Serious?
So, I read this morning that Donald Trump was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Why? Because he has a cookie-cutter reality show that reminds me of why I never wanted to stay in the corporate world? I can't believe this. And of course they're tying it to the whole Donald-Rosie "feud" (read: publicity shtick) and how she doesn't have a star. It's just so laughable how Hollywood bestows these "honors" on the most talentless, vapid people. Yes, I know he's a great businessman and entrepreneur. I know that. And I can respect him for that. But as an "entertainer"? Please.

Look Out Jayne Mansfield...
Since it's the first day back after a 3-day weekend, and it was dark out at 6:30 a.m. I decided to glam it up today and so I'm channeling my inner sex-kitten-glamourpuss. Wearing my new shoes (from Clark St. in Chicago!) and a matching leopard print scarf in my hair. So, when I look better than average I feel better and can face the day. And a small non-fat mocha from Starbuck's never hurts either. I've even got lounge-ish tunes playing to complete the whole look!

California Dreamin' on such a winter's day...

Luckily, I dragged my ass out to hit the gym. Holy moley was it crowded this morning. I guess the New Year resoluters are still at it. But it was a really good class, I sweat like a pig and felt good afterwards. Then grabbed a quick lip wax (discovered this great little place close to home when I can't run out at lunch at work: Maxi Nails), and came home to soak in a nice toasty shower. So I'm all squeaky-clean, smelling of mango butter and well-exercised.

I'm so excited. I'm so not a fruit person. I try to like it. Really I do. But it always seems so...sweet. Like unnaturally sweet. But I want to eat better, so I re-discovered that I do like Macintosh apples. So I've been eating those. And I plan to have some banana with my oatmeal (mmm....baked oatmeal). And I discovered this juice: a fruit juice I like! Bolthouse Farms Passion Apple Carrot juice. I think the trick is, is that the carrot kind of reduces the tartness of the other fruits. It's delicious.

And I think my hair is finally recovering from that haircut, which was over 3 weeks ago. It's growing in nicely and finally starting to make nicer curls. So now I can finally try the Oyin stuff I had ordered now that I have control group hair back. I slathered on some Shine and Define Serum to see what that'd do without my usual Aussie Dual Personality before it. It smells incredibly lemony, so that's a bonus. And I like supporting smaller companies who are committed to serving all hair types. Oyin is good stuff.

Choking On Nostalgia

I know. I know it's a bad movie. I know it won a gazillion Razzies. I know all of that. But that doesn't keep me from loving "Xanadu." I love the music. I love the costumes. I love that Gene Kelly is a good sport and even rollerskates in the finale. I love all of it. They're currently preparing a Broadway musical version of it to be released just in time for Tony consideration. How cool is that? I want to be one of the first yahoos on line to see it.

So all day I've been listening to cheesy music that I love. There's something comforting about Gino Vannelli and ELO and Olivia Newton-John. I love how they use these lush string parts and make everything seem just so dramatic. I love how the lyrics are almost nonsense, but still get the point across.